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Blackwall Keep
This page may be a Stub or not include some information. For a full article on the topic with citations, please see ' ' at Greyhawkonline.com. Blackwall Keep stands on the very cusp of the Cairn Hills, atop a high ridge overlooking the fetid mires of the Mistmarsh. From here, infrequent mounted patrols of Greyhawk Militia ride out to keep vigil over the scrub grasslands bordering the northern verges of the marshes. However, the militia’s presence here has dwindled over the last few years as men have been drawn off by renewed fighting on the Wild Coast. During the springs of 583 and 584 CY, lizardfolk from the Mistmarsh became unusually active and attacked livestock and some outlying farms. This resulted in the construction of two new tower keeps to the north and south of the marsh: Blackwall Keep and Marsh Keep. The keeps have apparently worked, as very few lizardfolk have been seen outside the marsh since their construction. While not technically within the Cairn Hills, the garrisons within both keeps are part of the Cairn Hills Militia. Blackwall Keep, under the command of Ranald Haradrith, lies approximately two days east of Diamond Lake on the northern edge of the marsh. In recent years, a small village has sprung up around the keep, populated by refugees fleeing the Wild Coast. The most recent influx arrived in 596 CY when orcs of the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj smashed through Greyhawk’s defensive line west of Safeton. Bypassing the twin towers of Eyebite, the orcs razed Narwell and several surrounding villages. While the Free City’s army reacted quickly to stabilize the situation and cut off the marauders’ line of retreat, vicious fighting raged for months. Their road home barred, the orcs continued northwards, joining their brethren at Blackthorn under the ancient boughs of the Gnarley Forest, where they now threaten the lands of both Dyvers and Greyhawk. As their land was consumed by war, the inhabitants of the region fled their homes for the comparative safety of the north. Faced with this tide of miserable humanity, the Directing Oligarchy of Greyhawk City began moving cartloads of homeless refugees to outlying settlements. As a result, the village of Blackwall Keep suddenly increased by nearly a third in the last year. The influx created some hardship among the inhabitants, with both food and shelter in short supply. However, with the aid of the garrison in the keep, the majority of the villagers survived the lean winter months. The experience has forged a strong bond between the villagers and the men of the garrison. The Keep the Keep itself is a strong four-storied tower keep protected by a stout wooden palisade and a wide, but shallow refuse-filled ditch. The keep is named for a pernicious local lichen that shrouds the tower’s granite walls, giving it a somewhat sinister appearance. Though a strong fortification, the keep has an air of neglect about it. With the departure of the last stonemason, minor maintenance is no longer carried out effectively and in several places the tower’s parapets have begun to crumble. Nonetheless, the defences here are still sound and a determined, well-motivated force could easily hold this place against attack. As well as the tower house, several outbuildings stand within the palisade – stables for the garrison’s mounts and storage sheds (now mostly empty) – set around a muddy courtyard. Access to the keep is through a single ironbound door. The ground floor is given over to defence, comprising a guardroom that is manned around the clock by shifts of militiamen. Under the guardroom lies the cellar, which contains a few cells, further storerooms and a well. A spiral staircase ascends from the guardroom to the upper floors. The first floor is given over to quartering the rank and file militiamen. Here, a single large chamber serves as a barracks, mess hall, and kitchen. The floors above contain private quarters for the officers, a single guest room and an armory. Atop the keep, two light catapults and two ballistae command the approaches to the keep and village. The ballistae protect the keep itself, while the catapults are arrayed to provide maximum protection to the village. From the roof, the garrison maintain a desultory watch over the surrounding area. On the lower levels, arrow slits pierce the thick granite walls, providing fields of fire on all sides. The two upper floors benefit from stoutly-shuttered windows, from which boiling oil and water can be rained down upon anyone assaulting the base of the tower.